Knitting machine



j l lf3 V l I I l l 1 Inventor Term' E. LYNAM Dec. 25, 1956 J. E. LYNAM KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1952 United States iiatent KNITTING MACHNE John E. Lynam, Mapperley, Nottingham, England, as signor to William `Cotton Limited, Loughborough, England Application May 12, 1952, Serial No. 237,333

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 11, 1951 8 Claims. (Cl. 66-15'7) This invention concerns knitting machines of the type employing a pattern chain or equivalent flexible band (hereinafter referred `to as -a chain) equipped with pattern studs or equivalent protrusions (hereinafter referred to as studs) disposed at dilferent locations or tracks in its width, which chain is movable along a predetermined path past an operating station at which a plurality of feelers, one for each stud track, are disposed so as to be acted on by the studs to effect or control operations as predetermined by the stud `lay-out on the chain. The invention in particularly applicable to Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machines, but it is also applicable to circular knitting machines, warp knitting machines, and at knitting machines.

In machines of the above type the difficulty sometimes occurs that one of the studs gets out of track. It will be appreciated that when a stud does get out of track this stud may fail to move its associated feeler or may move the feeler to an inadequate extent or may move the wrong feeler and in any of these events the result may be a mechanical breakage in the machine because ofthe resultant mis-timing or omission of one or more of the operations which the pattern chain is intended to initiate or produce. Likewise, should one of the cross bars of the chain (to which the studs are commonly fixed) become bent, or a chain link become otherwise distorted, a stud may protrude to an amount and/ or the chain may produce a partial movement of one or more of the feelers (resulting, for example, in a trunk or cam follower being shogged part-way between two alternative positions). lt is these drawbacks that the present invention seeks to obviate or minimise.

The invention therefore provides in a knitting machine of the type specified, stop motion actuating mechanism comprising detector means disposed in advance of `the operating station for detecting and responding to a misplaced part associated with the chain (e. g. stud, link) and means operable by such response to bring the stop motion into operation. The expression stop motion is employed herein to include not only a motion (i. e. mechanism or apparatus) whereby the machine is actually brought to rest but also a motion whereby the ill effects of the detected fault are obviated, as for example by stopping the chain or rendering one or more of the feelers inoperative (e. g. by shifting it or them to inoperative position) or by disconnecting the feelers from the mechanism or apparatus that they control.

It will be appreciated that when the misplaced part approaches the operating station it acts on the detector means before it has an opportunity to act on any of the feelers and the detector means therefore brings the stop motion into operation to obviate the ill effects that otherwise would result from the misplacement. The misplaced part may be out of track, or unduly elevated, or both.

The above and other features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims and are disclosed in the detailed description given by way of example of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a detail -side View of stop motion means according to `the invention.

Figure 2 is a scrap plan view of part of said stop motion means.

Referring now to the drawings a pattern chain of known type is indicated at l and is equipped withtdetachable studs 2 disposed at different locations in its width so that these studs follow parallel tracks, the chain 1 being conducted over suitable sprockets, drums or rollers. @ne drum 3 or the likel(hereinafter Vreferred to as a control drum) is commonly provided with a ring of chain teeth 4 at each end, and a ring of chain teeth such as that indicated at 5 between successive tracks. Associated with the drum or the like 3 there is a plurality of stud levers 6 (the feelers hereinbefore referred to). 'f here is one lever 6 for each cam track, and the levers 6 are pivoted side by side. The function, or one function of the control drum 3 is to provide a table or base supporting the chain 1 while the studs 2 shift the levers 6. Thus when the travel of the chain l brings a stud 2, in any track, onto the control drum 3 and beneath the associated `lever 6 the latter is raised, and, through any suitable connections (preferably mechanical such as indicated at 7) performs or initiates certain operations of a machine or of parts thereof.

.immediately `in advance of this control drum 3 there is a displaceaole safety gate member S. This member `ti extends transversely of the chain l and is formed with a plurality of gaps or gates 9, one for each cam track. ylhe width and height (normal to the chain surface) of each gap or `gate 9 is just suicient to permit thepassage of a stud 2 but ifa part associated with the chain becomes misplaced and moves the member 3 the stop motion is automatically operated thereby. Thus while all the `studs 2 follow `their correct tracks they pass through these gaps or `gates 9 but when any stud 2 is displaced laterally from its correct track it will foul one of the teeth 10 by which `each gate 9 is separated from the next. Likewise, if any stud 2 protrudes to an undue extent above the general plane of the chain l it will foul the base of its associated gap or gate 9. Therefore, upon either of these things happening the misplaced stud 2 displaces the gate member 8 (which conveniently is pivotally mounted), as a whole, away from the chain 1.

if either of the cross bars 12 of the chain l (to which the studs 2 are commonly attached) is bent, the gate member 8 will also be displaced. If the bar l2 is bent upwards, it will foul one of the gate teeth l0; if it is bent down it will ride on one of the rings of teeth 5 on the drum 3 and will thereby so lift the chain l that the gate member 8 is displaced by one of the bars i2 or studs 2.

The aforesaid displacement serves, for example, to actuate an electric switch 13 which controls a circuit for actuating means illustrated diagrammatically in Figure l such as stopping or disconnecting a driving motor 14 of the machine, to stop the machine and. also the chain i, or for rendering one or more of the feelers 6 inoperative say by a solenoid i7 suitably displacing it, or for disconnecting the feeler or feelers say by a solenoid 18 displacing a catch or the like i9, or for operating any other suitable means whereby ill effects of the detected faut is avoided. Said switch i3 may be a snap-action switch of the kind sold under the registered trademark Burgess Micro-Switch. Such switches commonly comprise a small operating plunger 15, and the safety gate 8 may have a protrusion or arm i6 which, when the gate 8 is shifted, depresses this plunger l5.

I claim:

l. ln a knitting machine, the combination of a chain,

,studs on the chain in dierent tracks in its width, a feeler for each track of studs and adapted at an operating station in the movement of lthe chain for actuation by the studs to cause operation in the machine as predetermined by the stud layout on the chain, detector means disposed in advance of the feelers in the movement of the chain and adapted for detecting a misplaced part of the studded chain consisting of a displaceable gate member having a gate or gap for each track of studs and of a width just suicient to permit passage of the studs in the respective tracks, mechanism for stopping the machine, and means operable by the detector means for operating said mechanism for stopping the machine.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination of a chain, studs on the chain in different tracks in its width, a feeler for each track of studs and adapted at an operating station in the movement of the chain for actuation by the studs to cause operation in the machine as predetermined by the stud-layout on the chain, detector means disposed in advance of the feelers in the movement of the chain and adapted for detecting a misplaced part of the studded chain consisting of a pivotally mounted gate member having a gate or gap for each track of studs and of a width just sufticient to permit the passage of a stud and a projection for operating an electric switch when the member is displaced by the misplaced part, mechanism for stopping'the machine, and means operable by the detector means incluuding said electric switch operated by said projection for operating said mechanism for stopping the machine.

3. In a knitting machine, the combination of a chain, studs on the chain in different tracks in its width, a feeler for each track of studs and adapted at an operating station in the movement of the chain for actuation by the studs to cause operation in the machine as predetermined by the stud layout on the chain, detector means disposed in advance of the feelers in the movement of the chain and adapted for detecting a misplaced part of the studded chain consisting of a U-shaped member adapted for pivotal mounting at the free ends of its arms and having the cross-bar formed on one side with a row of gates or gaps each of a width just sufficient for the passage of a stud and on the other side with a projection for engaging stop motion operating means, stop motion mechanism for stopping the machine, and means operable by the detector means including said stop motion operating means engaged by said projection for operating the stop motion mechanism for stopping the machine.

4. In or tor pattern mechanism of a knitting machine of the type comprising adjacent chain guide rotatable members, a chain adapted to traverse on said rotatable members, with studs on the chain in spaced tracks for operating feelers, stop motion mechanism comprising a detector arm adapted for pivotal mounting at one end on the axis of one of said members and having a gate or gap in its other free end for each cam track and of a Width just sufficient to permit the passage of a stud, and said detector arm also having a part for operating a stop motion operating electrical switch upon the detector arm being displaced by a misplaced part of the studded chain.

5. In a knitting machine the combination of a chain, studs on the chain in different tracks in its width, a feeler for each track of studs and attached at an operating station in the movement of the chain for actuation by the studs to cause operation in the machine as predetermined by the stud layout on the chain, detector means disposed in advance of the feelers in the movement of the chain and adapted for detecting a misplaced part of the studded chain and consisting of a displaceable gate member hav ing a gate or gap for each track of studs and of a width just sucient to permit the passage of the studs in the respective tracks, mechanism for stopping the machine, and electrical means adapted to be operable by said gate member when the latter is displaced by the misplaced parts and to thereupon operate the mechanism for stopping the machine.

6. In a knitting machine, a combination of a chain, studs on the chain in diferent tracks in its width, a feeler for each track of studs and attached at an operating station in the movement of the chain for actuation by the studs to cause operation in the machine as predetermined by the stud layout on the chain, detector means disposed in advance of the feelers in the movement of the chain and consisting solely of a one piece member detecting on the studded chain to detect a misplaced part thereof, mechanism for stopping the machine, and means operable by the one piece member for operating said mechanism for stopping the machine.

7. Mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein the detector means consists solely of a displaceable one piece gate member having a gate or gap for each track of studs to permit the passage of the studs in the respective tracks.

8. Mechanism as claimed in claim 7 having electrical means adapted to be operated directly by the displaceable one piece gate member having said gate or gap for operating said mechanism for stopping the machine,

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,326,262 Helderman Dec. 30, 1919 1,364,112 Houseman Ian. 4, 1921 1,980,103 Shuford et al. Nov. 6, 1934 2,504,882 Schlesinger` Apr. 18, 1950 2,504,883 Sinclair Apr. 18, 1950 2,707,873 Haehnel May l0, 1955 

